Abstract
This paper explores customer satisfaction in education service industry (international students’ recruitment agents) in New Zealand. To identify the factors that will increase international students’ satisfaction, and find possible methods to retain international students, mixed methods were employed in one international agency in Auckland. A total of 100 questionnaires were completed and semi-structured interviews were conducted with international students and education consultants. The findings indicate that professional knowledge, service, personalities and communication are key factors that will influence international students’ satisfaction. Moreover, the findings also demonstrate that the increase of consultants’ satisfaction results in international students’ satisfaction. Establishing high contact with international students is a possible method to retain them. Results are discussed in relation to international students’ satisfaction in the context of education service industry. This paper enriches the body of literatures on higher education particularly on international student’s satisfaction with third parties (international agents). Recommendation for practice that could enhance the understanding of international students’ satisfaction, is also discussed.
Highlights
In today’s competitive environment, organizations need to establish a good relationship with customers, and provide professional services for them to improve customer satisfaction
In question 2 of the interview, student A said that agencies should have capability to solve their problems on enrolment. This answers the research question “What services do the international students expect from their consultants in international student’s recruitment agents (ISRA)?” International students expect that agencies are able to offer services such as providing effective information on programs, teaching kiwi culture, helping communication with kiwi homestay family and solving their problems of enrolments
Findings of this study indicate that professional knowledge, professional service, attractive personalities and good communicating skill can increase international student’s satisfaction with ISRA
Summary
In today’s competitive environment, organizations need to establish a good relationship with customers, and provide professional services for them to improve customer satisfaction. Several studies discovered the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction in banking industry (Ming & Ing, 2006; Roger, 1996). Relatively little research has investigated customer satisfaction and service quality in the context of international education. International students’ satisfaction is significant to higher institutions’ success. This sector highlights the importance of destination marketing because it can influence the choice of target international students whether to return to the previous agency and recommend it to others (Arambewela & Hall, 2009). To expand knowledge in this field, this study is focused on investigating international students’ satisfaction in educational services’ industry especially in the context of international student’s recruitment agents (ISRA) in New Zealand. Due to limited research on this topic, mixed methods were adopted in this study to explore this emerging issue
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